SCHOOLEY MITCHELL® vs Arthur Murray

Compare FDD disclosures, investment range, royalty and ad fund burden, SBA lending outcomes, Item 20-style unit movement, Item 19 transparency, and data-confidence caveats with a permanent shareable URL.

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SCHOOLEY MITCHELL®
Education/Tutoring
Investment
$75K to $86K
Franchise fee
$73,000
Item 19 status
Revenue Only
Confidence
High Confidence
Units
N/A
Arthur Murray
Education/Tutoring
Investment
$71K to $253K
Franchise fee
$599
Item 19 status
Limited Data
Confidence
High Confidence
Units
5
Lower entry cost
Leans right
Based on disclosed minimum initial investment only; buyer cash needs may be higher after working capital, lease, and financing assumptions.
Better disclosed economics
SCHOOLEY MITCHELL®
Uses the same Item 19 transparency hierarchy shown on franchise pages and rankings.
Lower SBA default risk
Leans right
Treat low-loan brands carefully; sample size and SBA borrower mix matter.
MetricSCHOOLEY MITCHELL®Arthur Murray
Franchise Fee
From disclosed FDD fee data when available; excludes buyer-specific legal, diligence, and financing costs.
$73,000$599
Min Investment
Lower bound of disclosed initial investment range, not a recommended capital budget.
$75K$71K
Max Investment
Upper end of FDD range; still reconcile to site, lease, buildout, and working-capital assumptions.
$86K$253K
Royalty Rate
Ongoing royalty burden before local store economics and owner salary.
8.0%8.0%
Ad Fund Rate
National/brand fund rate when disclosed; local marketing may be additive.
2.0%2.0%
Total Ongoing Burden
Royalty plus ad fund when available.
10.0%10.0%
Median Revenue (Item 19)
Only meaningful when the franchisor provides an Item 19 financial-performance representation.
$132KN/A
Cash-on-Cash Return
Estimated when revenue and margin assumptions are available.
32.8%N/A
Payback Period
3.1 yrsN/A
Revenue per Dollar Invested
1.64xN/A
Franchised Units
Latest disclosed franchised-unit count in the corpus.
N/A5
1-Year Net Unit Change
Item 20-style system movement signal; investigate transfers, closures, and refranchising before assuming organic growth.
31N/A
Net Unit Growth Rate
N/AN/A
Net Closure Rate
Net closure proxy based on disclosed unit change.
N/AN/A
SBA Default Rate
Historical SBA performance for matched loans, not a prediction for a new buyer or location.
34.8%0.0%
SBA Loan Count
Use this to judge whether SBA default data is statistically meaningful.
596
Average SBA Loan Size
$131K$137K
Item 19 Status
Canonical transparency badge used across franchise, ranking, and compare surfaces.
Revenue OnlyLimited Data
Has Item 19
✓ Yes✓ Yes
Data Confidence
Derived from the same data-quality thresholds used on franchise pages.
High Confidence · 88/100High Confidence · 85/100

What stands out

  • SCHOOLEY MITCHELL® discloses an initial investment range of $75K to $86K, while Arthur Murray discloses $71K to $253K. Treat these as FDD ranges, not a full purchase budget.
  • SCHOOLEY MITCHELL® shows an Item 19 financial-performance disclosure; Arthur Murray shows an Item 19 financial-performance disclosure. Missing Item 19 data should narrow confidence, not automatically kill a brand.
  • SCHOOLEY MITCHELL® has N/A franchised units versus 5 for Arthur Murray; use one-year net unit movement and closure proxies as early diligence signals, not final underwriting.

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Last updated: May 2026